Patriots Journal: Brady says he's already ready to go

Wednesday

Jun 12, 2013 at 6:27 PM

FOXBORO — Many of those around the Patriots mini-camp this week might be talking about Tim Tebow joining the team, but Tom Brady made it clear Wednesday that he is not planning on giving up the starting...

By PAUL KENYON

FOXBORO — Many of those around the Patriots mini-camp this week might be talking about Tim Tebow joining the team, but Tom Brady made it clear Wednesday that he is not planning on giving up the starting quarterback’s job any time soon.

Zoltan MeskoStephen GostkowskiVince Wilfork Andre Tippett

“I feel great,” he said. “I feel better than ever. I’ve had a great offseason to this point, and it needs to continue. At this point, I have a pretty good understanding of how I need to prepare myself, and I spend a lot of time.

“Every decision of my life is based around how to be a better football player. I think I’ve got a decent idea how to do that, and we’ll ultimately see how it pays off this year. It’s been fun every day at practice, and that’s how you improve, is to be out on the practice field, especially with a bunch of new players. We’ll see how it turns out when we put the pads on,” he said.

The quarterback, who will turn 36 in August, is signed for five more years.

What has become clear through the voluntary organized team activities over the past month and the first two days of mandatory mini-camp is that Danny Amendola looks poised to take over where Wes Welker left off as Brady’s favorite target. Brady spoke about how he and Amendola are working well together.

“We talk about something. The first time you didn’t quite get it. The second time you talked, it got a little more but not quite. Finally we nailed it,” he said. “Hopefully once you get that feeling of nailing it, you can understand it."

“Some guys," said Brady, "really pick things up and why you develop a chemistry with some players. Aaron (Hernandez) and Rob (Gronkowski) have gotten it so quickly and they’re very talented players,” he added. “Danny’s come in and has been fun to play with. He’s come to work so hard. He’s diving out there for catches. He’s really done everything that we’ve asked them to do.”

Amendola spoke after practice Wednesday about how Brady has helped him make the transition to a new team.

“He absolutely (is helpful),” Amendola said. “He knows every route inside and out, and just as well as the coaches, it’s really good to have a leader like that, a leader like coach (Josh) McDaniels, coach (Chad) O’Shea, and Bill Belichick, to lead us in the right direction, and we’re all trying to play hard for them.”

$200,000 raised

Brady conducted a nearly 12-minute interview on the Gillette Stadium field after taking part in ceremonies in which the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation handed out $200,000 in donations through 26 Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards.

Brady, Zoltan Mesko, Stephen Gostkowski, Vince Wilfork and Andre Tippett all took part in helping recognize volunteers from all six New England states.

The Pats’ Charitable Foundation handed out $200,000 in grants to 26 charitable organizations Wednesday, including six from Rhode Island. It is all part of the Community MVP program in honor of the late Myra Kraft.

“This is part of what each of us players has, the responsibility that we have to give back to the community and certainly to celebrate the people who have volunteered so much of their time over the last year to what Myra Kraft really started here,” Brady said. “The volunteerism and the 26 winners today should really be honored and it’s really special to be out here and celebrate with them.”

“When you think we had over 300 applications, just people volunteering their time, it’s really inspirational,” Robert Kraft said. “This 84-year old woman who gave 24,000 hours to volunteer and then the 92-year old who works at the School for the Blind? There’s hope for all us. Keep doing good, it pays back.”

The recipients of the awards include Jackie Curtis of the Doll E. Daze Project & Museum Inc. of Mansfield, Mass.; Anthony DeQuattro of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island of Johnston; Robert Hunter of Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Attleboro; Nick Lowinger of the Gotta Have Sole Foundation Inc. of Cranston; Kathleen Murphy of the San Miguel School of Providence; Cheryl Robinson of Turning Around Ministries of Newport; Lori Sendroff of Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter of Bristol; and Caroline Troise of the Rhode Island Free Clinic of Providence.

Each group received donations of $5,000 or $10,000.

Tebow at minimum

The terms of Tebow’s contract were published Wednesday and they are very straightforward, with no guaranteed money.

It includes base salaries of $630,000 this year, the minimum for a fourth-year player, and $730,000 next season with a $25,000 workout bonus. There are playing incentives for 2014 of up to $1.5 million based on playing time, with a minimum of being on the field 60 percent of the offensive plays.

Soccer at Gillette

It was a busy day at Gillette on Wednesday. While the Patriots were practicing, the United States Women’s Soccer team, which plays at Gillette on Saturday night, was practicing inside the stadium. The Revolution was also practicing.

Belichick’s daughter, Amanda, who is now an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Ohio State, took in her father’s press conference.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.